Monday, May 03, 2010

Car Troubles

Yesterday, as I drove over the Bay Bridge a lit cigarette stub flew into my windshield, having been released from the driver's side window of a green Honda. Not a few minutes later, as I followed a white Jeep Cherokee with License Plate# 4AVV385 garbage was released from its driver's side window. Clearly, I was so incensed, I took down their license plate. I know nothing can be done, yet I do hope that karma comes around and bites these two base, ignorant individuals. Do they really feel that the world is their trash can? Holding it until we get to the can does make a difference. But how big of a difference? I know that trash doesn't disappear. That we just put it where we can forget about it and hope that it goes away. Instead of releasing a crumpled up something from your window while on the bay bridge, effectively ensuring that it gets released into our bay. He could have put it in a trash can where it would end up as landfill. When will we run out of landfill?I believe, we can do better. What if we shifted away from having trash in the first place? Instead of releasing the crumpled up packaging of cigarettes (what I believe the white jeep littered), how about buying loose cigarettes and putting them into a refillable cigarette case? Not much we can do about the cigarette butts, aside from quitting smoking - which is a good idea as well. Next we could tackle those single use water bottles. We drink the not-much-better-than-tap water out of them and then discard them. And where do they go? We could do so much better as a society by finding ways to move towards re-usables. Have pure water filling spots - aka water fountains - where people can fill up their long-term water bottles. Start charging for plastic bags at the supermarket- make the option of reusable bags much more appealing. Little steps here and there which will add up - if the majority of us do them repeatedly.We can do better.